Combination sweeper and vacuum-cleaner.



SHOTANI. COMBINATION SWEEPER AND VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.28, 191s.

Patented May 15, 1917.

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WITNESSE: IN VENTOR I sh abum 0mm J wmmdnwd S. OTANI.

COMBINATION SWEEPER AND VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.zs. m6.

1,2636% Patented May15,1917.

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mg: llllll! WITNESSES:

INVEN'LDOR Shajflbum Otani,

Arronamys outrun enemas PATENT our-non.

S HOZABURO OTANI, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINATION SWEEPER AND VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15, 1217?.

Application filed August 28, 1916. Serial No. 117,171.

combination sweeper and vacuum cleaner comprising a body having a pair of supporting wheels at either end, a sweeping roll operated by the wheels at the front end, a bellows chamber arranged at the rear of the device, a flexible diaphragm mounted in the bellows chamber and operated by the rear wheels, a dust compartment in communication with the bellows chamber and overlying the front wheels, and a suction nozzle for the dust compartment extending downward at the front of the body, said front wheels being movable up and down in their bearings to permit the sweeping roll and suction nozzle to constantly engage the floor surface, and other advantageous features of construction hereinafter more fully described.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the follqwing' description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a rear end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 showsa vertical, longitudinal, central, sectional view of the device.

Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of the device in inverted position, for use as a floor polisher.

The particular form herein shown comprises a box-like body having front wheels 10, rear wheels 11, a transversely arranged naled in pendent straps 16, which latter are pulled toward the front Wheels by means of springs 17, thereby maintaining the friction disks 15 in contact with the front wheels at all times, regardless of the up and down movement of said wheels in For catching the dust from the sweeping roll a pivoted receptacle or basket 18 is arranged at either side thereof, and a special form of spring 19 is employed for retaining the basket in both raised and lowered positlons. Each spring is in the form of a bent Wire, connected at one end to the body and at the other end to the basketand exerts an outward pressure, which, when th'e basket is raised, retains it in closed position, and when the basket is lowered retains it in dumpin position, by reason of the shifting of the connection from one side of the line of centers to the other. i

A bellows chamber 20 overlies the rear wheels and has fitted centrally therein a flexible diaphragm 21, operatively connected, by a link 22, with a crank arm 23 on the axle 24 of the rear wheels. 1 A casing 24* incloses the crank'arm and connecting link 22 and forms a portion of the bellows chamber.

A dust compartment 25 is arranged over the a front wheels and has at its forward end a downwardly extending nozzle 26 for engagement with the floor and at its rear end a screened opening 27 lying in front of upper and lower intake valves 28 formed in the chamber 20. Exhaust valves 28 are pro vided in the rear end of the bellows chamber. The action of the, diaphragm 21 is a double one and a suction is applied to the dust compartment at each end of movement of the diaphragm through one of the valved openings 28. This suction, I find, is sufficiently strong to serve the purpose of a vacuum cleaner and is also practically continuous. The dust compartment 25 is provided with a removable top 29, held in place by clamping screws 30.

I preferably arrange a cloth or mat 31 upon the top of the body and fasten it removably in place by clamps 32, so thatthe device may be inverted, as shown in Fig. 4, and used as a floor polisher. Elastic or spring bumpers '33 are also vided on the front end of the device.

The herein described device is obviously easy to operate and inexpensive to construct and provides in one composite structure three implements of every-day use in the home. The floating bearings for the front wheels permit a rising and'fallipg move: ment which'will insure a constant engagement of the sweeping roll and suction nozzle with the floor surface at all times. The double acting bellows furnishes a strong and continuous suction and is simple to operate and inexpensive to construct. The pivoted dust receptacles for the sweeping roll aiford aconvenient way of disposing of the sweep- 1n s.

7arious changes in the construction and arrangement of the several parts herein shown and described may be employed with out departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is r 1. In a cleaner, a casing having inclined slots, a wheeled axle movably arranged in the slots, a pair of swinging arms pivoted at their upper ends to the respective sides of the casing, a brush-carrying axle journaled in the lower ends of the arms so as to swing vwith the latter, friction disks on the brush axle, coil springs connected to the arms between their ends and secured to the casing sides to move the arms and therewith the disks of the brush axle against the wheels, and dust pans for the brush.

2. In a cleaner, a casing, a rotatable brush carried by the casing, a dust pan pivoted ad jacent the brush, and a wire spring for the pan, said spring being approximately L- shape and having one end connected to the pan in front of the pan pivot and having its other end secured to the casing above the pan and to the rear of the pan pivot whereby to retain the pan in either operative or dust-dumping positions.

3. In a cleaner, a casing, a rotatable brush carried by the casing, a dust pan pivoted adjacent each side of the brush, and independent yielding means for each pan connected thereto to hold same operative and to also enable same to be independently moved to and automatically held in dust-dumping position.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SHOZ ABURO OTANI. v

Witnesses:

J. B. BUTTERWORTH, H. H. DEMPSAY. 

